BACK TO LAST WEEK'S TAG MEETING

O.K. I have to admit that it is very dry (boring!).The first 2/3 of the meeting was punctuated in my notes with words like "snoozefest" and "What a joke". This was likely because TAG were once again graced with the likes of Alan Deal a long time CRA employee. Now he works for GHD and he's as bad as ever. At least he seems to have recovered from the effects years ago of technical questioning from myself. In those days I wasn`t gagged by our pretend mayor, Sandy Shantz. Poor old Mr. Deal would get bright red as he stumbled through lengthy, circuitous explanations of Uniroyal, Crompton, Chemtura poor decision making.

We learned that there had been a spill of approximately 200 kilograms of diphenylamine (DPA) from a rail car on the Lanxess property. Allegedly the rail car had been overfilled by the supplier. There was also a recent spill of approximately three to four pounds of ammonia. We were told that a chiller shut off but the compresser did not thus raising the pressure causing a pressure relief valve to open. We were also told that Lanxess will be discontinuing ammonia storage on site. If so I expect that that will change Lanxess`s `Worst Case Scenario`in case of accident, fire or other emergency.

My written comments to TAG about one of the MOE`s recent reviews of the Canagagigue Creek investigation was briefly discussed. It was admitted that the MOE had screwed up with their inaccurate reproduction of some of the results from the 1996 Jaagumagi & Bedard biological study of the creek. Comments from Henry Regier were put off until the next TAG meeting in Septemeber.

It was interesting to know that Lanxess`s lab seems to get Dioxin results approximately 30% lower than the MOE`s lab. This does not surprise me in the least.

TAG are in many aspects on the right track. Others they simply don`t understand and nobody is helping them. Member Bill Barr has resigned citing work responsibilities. He too was over his head but I believe meant well.